ISCN Global Mixer: Trees-as-infrastructure: Investing in Urban Nature Stewardship as the basis of Smart Cities

Recent extreme weather events in Spain have once again highlighted the vulnerability of cities and their inhabitants to the consequences of climate change. Heat waves, floods and droughts are putting urban infrastructures to the test and calling for a rethink in urban planning. 

In this episode of the ISCN Global Mixer, Caroline Paulick-Thiel (Politics for Tomorrow) and Sebastian Klemm (Dark Matter Labs) shared insights on how to revalue urban nature and its essential ecosystem services as fundamental components of urban resilience.

Trees-as-Infrastructure (TreeAI), an initiative of Dark Matter Labs, is working on the systemic development of city-wide, cross-sector investment opportunities focused on decarbonization and climate adaptation. The goal is to create tools and services that recognize urban nature as a critical asset, developed in partnership with municipalities and organizations.

The focus is on implementation within cities, starting with a comprehensive assessment of city-wide climate risks and identifying areas for intervention. This involves making the case for investment and creating practical mechanisms that connect local resources with initiatives that support climate resilience. One of the key strategies, the Trees-as-Infrastructure "Location-based Scoring" approach, identifies prime locations for nature-based interventions, aligning them with climate impact chains. This ensures that climate resilience efforts are implemented equitably across urban areas.

During the presentation, Sebastian highlighted a case study from Stuttgart, where Dark Matter Labs developed impact chains in collaboration with various city departments. These impact chains reveal the interconnections of different urban systems, helping to pinpoint high-priority areas for nature-based solutions across multiple sectors.

The Location-based Scoring approach offers diverse applications, from urban planning for climate resilience and identifying priority maintenance areas, to informing policy development and fostering community engagement.
Currently, TreesAI is working to bring this Location-based Scoring approach to interested cities, and is developing the process architecture for city-wide, cross-sector systemic investments in nature-based solutions.

This event was part of the ISCN Global Mixer, a series of events organized by the International Smart Cities Network. The presentations cover a wide range of topics related to international smart city approaches and provide exciting insights into urban digitalization worldwide - in just 30 minutes.